Rebuilding Our Connection To The Land in Texas - Manuel Rosso's Story

When I was a kid, the food we ate did not come from a box you bought at the mega mart. We could always trace food back to its source. One of my earliest memories is a visit to my grandfather’s dairy where he showed me how they milked cows. Getting a taste of fresh milk is something I will never forget.

I vividly remember the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning and the aroma of the most incredible chicken stew made with only ingredients found in the farm. We never had fancy gourmet dishes but we always had simple delicious meals made with fresh ingredients and they were amazing.

At home, we bought all of our meat from Carlos, the corner butcher. My mom only bought meat from the butcher shop and would never consider buying it a the grocery store - “What do they know about meat?!?!” she would say. Carlos knew every single one of his suppliers and he refused to sell anything that didn’t meet his quality standards. His business lived on his reputation and his reputation depended on the quality of his products and how he treated his customers.

Today we get most (if not all) of our meat from the grocery store. Modern grocers spend millions in ads telling you how good their products are but when you talk to the guy behind the counter he is clueless on where your chicken came from, or what it ate and how it was treated. Sadly big grocers source meat from giant commercial operations and their growth severed our connection to the land..

The main reason I joined Lisa to start Rosso & Flynn in Austin is because I miss my grandmother’s kitchen, I miss Carlos the butcher, I miss the connection I used to have to where our meat comes from. At Rosso & Flynn we know the farmers, the processors and everyone else involved in getting you the highest quality product to your kitchen.

I might not be able to replicate my grandmother’s chicken stew (still trying) but we can absolutely connect you back to the land.